Every pupil in Oswestry School is assigned to one of four houses. These houses compete in a variety of events for the House Challenge Trophy, which is awarded on Speech Day. As well as competitions in all the main school sports, there is a swimming gala and a sports day. But there are non-sporting events too. For the drama competition each house stages a thirty-minute play and in the music competition there is a song for the whole of each house, as well as solo and small ensemble items.

Once a week each house meets for its own special assembly.

Heads of Houses 2010-11

OSWALD (Mr Watson and Mrs Lentink)Adam Lloyd and Rebecca Long

SPOONER (Mr and Mrs Eve) Gregory Bateman and Kate McFadden

BURNABY (Mr Croft, Mrs Turner and Miss Jones)Robert Henderson and Hana Foggin

DONNE (Mr Hollingsworthand Mrs Chidlow) Callum Morris and Stacey Baker

	Burnaby		Donne		Oswald		Spooner
	Pos	Pts	Pos	Pts	Pos	Pts	Pos	Pts
Cross Country - Senior	2	6	3	4	1	10	4	2
Cross Country - Senior Girls	2	6	4	2	3	4	1	10
Drama	2	24	4	8	3	16	1	40
Fives
Football - Junior	3	4	4	2	1	10	2	6
Football - Senior	3	4	4	2	1	10	2	6
Football - Senior Girls
Hockey - Senior
Hockey - Junior
Sevens Rugby - Senior
Sevens Rugby - Intermediate	3	4	1	10	2	6	4	2
Sevens Rugby - Junior
Rugby - Year 11-13	2	6	4	2	1	10	3	4
Rugby - Year 9-10	=2	5	4	2	1	10	=2	5
Music	2	24	1	40	3	16	4	8
Credits/Debits - Lower School
Football - Intermediate	3	4	1	10	2	6	4	2
Football - Junior 7/8
Football - Junior 5/6
Netball - Junior
Netball - Senior	4	2	3	4	1	10	2	6
Rounders - Junior
Sports Day
Swimming - Junior
Swimming - Senior	3	4	4	2	2	6	1	10
Total	93		88		114		101

Points System	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Drama and Music	40	24	16	8
Sports Day	30	18	12	6
Others	10	6	4	2

Oswald (c. 604– 642) was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and was subsequently venerated as a Christian saint. Oswald was killed in the battle of Maserfield, said to be on a site near school, fighting Penda of Mercia and his body was dismembered. St Oswald's Well, a holy well of healing was said to have sprung up at the spot where Oswald's arm had landed and is adjacent to the school site, once providing the source of the water for the school's former outdoor swimming pool. The name Oswestry, or "Oswald's Tree", is generally thought to be derived from Oswald's death there and the legends surrounding it.

The Rev Canon William Archibald Spooner DD (1844–1930) was educated at Oswestry School and New College, Oxford, the first non-Wykehamist to be so, and became an Anglican priest and a scholar. During a 60-year association with Oxford University, he became fellow, lecturer, tutor, dean and warden (from 1903) of New College, lecturing ancient history, philosophy (especially Aristotle's ethics) and divinity.

Although Spooner's scholarship, devotion to duty, and wisdom were highly regarded he has become famous for his "spoonerisms", funny mis-statements that result from the transposition of initial consonants. Few if any of his own spoonerisms were deliberate, and many of those attributed to him are apocryphal. Spooner himself hated the reputation he gained for getting his words muddled.

"Come into the arms of the shoving leopard" instead of the "come into the arms of the loving shepherd" that he meant to say in one of his homilies.

"You have hissed my mystery lesson" instead of "you have missed my history lesson", talking to a group of students who were late for a class.

Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby (1842-1885), was an English soldier, traveller, linguist and adventurer. Burnaby was educated at Harrow, Oswestry School and in Germany. He entered the Royal Horse Guards in 1859 and was made Colonel in 1881.

During 1875 Burnaby travelled with General Gordon in the Sudan and that winter he journeyed across the Russian Steppes on horseback. This extremely hazardous and dangerous venture resulted in the book 'A Ride to Khiva' which brought him immediate fame. Throughout 1876-78 he travelled through Asia Minor and Armenia, later writing about his journey in 'On Horseback Through Asia Minor'. These books are still in publication today.

In 1880 Burnaby began his active interest in politics, unsuccessfully contesting a seat at Birmingham in the Tory-Democrat interest.

In 1882 he made only the second crossing of the English Channel in a balloon, making him the first balloonist to cross the Channel solo, resulting in another book 'A Ride Across The Channel And Other Adventures In The Air'.

Disappointed in his hope of seeing active service in the Egyptian Campaign of 1882, Burnaby participated in the Suakin campaign of 1884 without official leave, and was wounded at El Teb when acting as an intelligence officer under General Valentine Baker. This did not deter him from a similar course when a fresh expedition started up the Nile to relieve Khartoum and rescue General Gordon. Given a post by Lord Wolseley, Burnaby was killed by a spear wound in the hand-to-hand fighting of the Battle of Abu Klea on 17th January 1885.

In his will, reported in the Times of the 8th May 1885, it was noted that Burnaby left a personal estate amounting to £17,000 to his widow Mrs Elizabeth Alice Frances Hawkins Burnaby. One of the first lady mountaineers, and an adventurer in her own right, Elizabeth had come over from Ireland to meet Burnaby following the publication of his first book. Publishing books of her own adventures, Elizabeth and Burnaby could be said to be one of the first celebrity couples. They had one child.

The organ in the school chapel was provided by donations in his memory by fellow pupils and members of the Oswestry School community. Other memorials to Burnaby include: an obelisk in Portland stone, over 50 feet high in the grounds of St Philip’s Cathedral,Birmingham - at its base is a relief portrait of Burnaby in uniform with carvings of military regalia; a marble memorial erected by HRH the Prince of Wales, Col. Milne-Home and the officers of the Royal Horse Guards in Holy Trinity Church, Windsor; and a memorial window in the Bedford Church of St Peter de Merton with St Cuthbert.

The National Portrait Gallery has a very elegant portrait of Burnaby painted by James Jacques Tissot in 1870.

The Revd. Dr. James Donne (1764-1844) was headmaster of Oswestry School from 1796-1833 and is considered to be one of the school's most distinguished headmasters, who re-established the school's fortunes in the late 18th century and is said by many to be Oswestry School's second founder, after David Holbache.